June Alumni Accolades

Sister Entrepreneurs: Jamie Marshall & Olivia Hatch’s Journey Through Sunshine Enterprises

Sisters and Community Business Academy alums Jamie Marshall and Olivia Hatch have been in business for almost three years now. Together they founded the Love U Collective, an aromatherapy skincare line. The Love U Collective was born from the combined passion (and a touch of frustration) of the two sisters who dreamt of making adulting a little less terrible. Rooted in the transformative power of aromatherapy and an understanding of how energy affects our emotional bodies, The Love U Collective aims to uplift and transform moods and wellbeing with every grounding inhale.

Jamie first heard about Sunshine Enterprises while attending a financial dashboard course through the New Covenant Community Development Corp. One of the fellow students frequently praised Sunshine and her coaches, sparking Jamie's interest. Inspired by the testimonials, Jamie applied to the next program offered in the Spring of 2023. Similarly, Olivia discovered Sunshine Enterprises through social media and Jamie. Intrigued by the organization's mission to support small businesses, she saw it as an excellent opportunity to enhance their understanding of finance, marketing, B2B, social media, and more. Reflecting on Sunshine’s CBA curriculum, both Jamie and Olivia found different aspects particularly valuable. Jamie found the simulations most beneficial, as they provided practical, hands-on experience in managing a business. This experiential learning offered deep insights into potential challenges, financial management, bookkeeping, and more. Olivia, on the other hand, enjoyed the small group break-off sessions focused on B2B sales. These sessions allowed her to view their business through a different lens and provided valuable support from peers. Both Jamie and Olivia took full advantage of Sunshine’s workshops, Business Acceleration Services, and Access to Capital networking opportunities. Jamie found the marketing and AI workshops particularly insightful and benefited significantly from the Business Acceleration Services grant, which helped the sisters find an amazing bookkeeper. Olivia focused on Access to Capital, aiming to secure a loan through CIBC to support their skincare small business in a competitive field.

Before discovering Sunshine Enterprises, Jamie and Olivia faced several challenges. Jamie struggled with understanding the intricacies of business operations and gaining a clear picture of their finances. Sunshine’s training on balance sheets, cash flow statements, and the importance of consistent bookkeeping was crucial for their business. Jamie said, “When you open a business no one explains to you all the things you’re responsible for - things like how to pay your sales tax or how to file your taxes… Another major challenge for us was understanding how to get a better picture of our finances. We learned the importance of our balance sheet and cash flow statement and why consistent bookkeeping is important. I don’t know where we’d be if we hadn’t learned these fundamentals.” Olivia, with a background in early childcare education, found understanding finances particularly challenging. Olivia explained, “My sister has an e-commerce background so a lot of things she picked up on right away so I’m grateful that I got a chance to understand a lot of the lingo to assist in my part of the business.” Additionally, identifying their target market proved to be more complex than initially anticipated. Sunshine’s guided steps and follow-up questions helped them reassess and redefine their target market as their business evolved.

THE SISTER’S ADVICE TO ENTREPRENEURS

JAMIE MARSHALL SAYS…
“My advice is to make it a habit to celebrate your wins. Running a business is hard work and there are going to be LOTS of ups and downs. There will be times when orders are coming in and you’re so busy there’s no time for sleep and other times when you wonder if you’ve made the right decision. But stay with it and remember to celebrate every win no matter how small. Starting a business is one of the scariest things you can do but your passion can - and will - impact someone’s life in ways you can’t imagine!”

OLIVIA HATCH SAYS…
”The best advice that I have is to NEVER GIVE UP & find support…even if they’re not family or your business partner! I’m lucky enough to be doing this with my big sister who in many ways has also been a mother-figure. With that being said, I’m not sure how this business would be going if I were doing it solo & just having someone to bounce ideas off of is monumental. Having someone there to listen through trial & error, or even straight crazy ideas, has overall allowed for our business to grow in ways we weren’t expecting (especially in the first 2 years). Persevering through all the people that will say “no” or the doors that may not open right away is challenging but by doing so, when the word “yes” comes along consistently & doors are opening left & right, there is a different type of joy that sits in your heart that words simply cannot fully describe!”